The present invention relates to a manually actuated ratchet cutter, in particular a cable cutter, having a movable handle part and a fixed handle part, the fixed handle part forming a first stationary cutting edge which is of substantially circular segment shape, a movable cutting edge being articulated, furthermore, on an upper end region of the fixed cutting edge for scissor-like cooperation with the fixed cutting edge, said movable cutting edge moving in a plane parallel to the first cutting edge and cooperating with the latter, and having a ratchet mechanism which comprises a blocking lever and an advancing lever and engages into a toothing developed on the outer periphery of the movable cutting edge, the blocking lever being, furthermore, movable into a release position.
Such a ratchet cutter is known as manually-actuated shears, in particular for cables, sections, etc. from U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,439, one handle part continuing into a fixed cutting jaw and a swingable cutting edge being mounted on the free end of said jaw. The cutting edge has an outside toothing which cooperates with a locking drive which is actuated by a movable handle and comprises an advancing lever and a blocking lever. For the release of this form lock, the advancing lever and the blocking lever are in engagement with a common unlocking slide. By displacement of the unlocking slide, the lever can be disengaged from the toothing and, as a result thereof, the cutting jaws released. This embodiment has the disadvantage that the slide must be held in the unlocking position until the swingable cutting jaw and its toothing have come out of the region of the locking drive. A locking in the release position of the movable cutting jaw is not possible.